Brown hoping to crack All-Star roster

Philadelphia Phillies' Domonic Brown, foreground, runs past Pittsburgh Pirates closer Jason Grilli after hitting a two-run home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, July 3, 2013. The Pirates won 6-5. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PHILADELPHIA — By the time Domonic Brown steps to the plate for the first time today, he will know if his breakthrough first half will earn him a spot in the National League’s outfield for the MLB All-Star Game at New York’s Citi Field July 16.

There haven’t been many Phillies who have earned unequivocal consideration as All-Stars this season, but their starting left fielder certainly has the numbers to back it.

Among N.L. outfielders, Brown entered Friday second in home runs (22) and RBIs (60) and sixth in on-base plus slugging percentage (.875). That said, in order to get there Brown will rely on the support of his fellow players, whose ballots name most of the reserve players.

Naturally, Charlie Manuel wants his top offensive player to get the honor. But the fact that Brown is just 25 and could use the experience as a chance to listen and learn to some of the game’s best veteran players is more than a bonus in the manager’s eyes.

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“I think the fact that they put importance on winning the last few years, it’s kind of helped how it’s played,” Manuel said. “Any time a young player gets around guys who have been All-Stars — the big star players — he can learn things from them, especially if he picks out the right ones.”

In the fan voting, the top two vote-getters in the outfield — the Cardinals’ Carlos Beltran and Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez — would be locks for the team with or without fan support. The third and final spot seems to be between a couple of flawed candidates in struggling Braves left fielder Justin Upton, who has been in a huge slump after a scorching April, and Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper, who was on the disabled list for all of June.

The Brewers’ Carlos Gomez and Rockies’ Michael Cuddyer seem likely to get invitations. If anyone could throw a wrench in Brown’s prospects, it would be Dodgers rookie sensation Yasiel Puig, whose name is being tossed around despite the fact that he entered Saturday with just 121 plate appearances for the season (Brown, by contrast, has 341).

Brown is trying to downplay the All-Star talk the best he can. Last month he said he wouldn’t take part in the Home Run Derby out of concern it would mess with his swing. He seemed to modify that stance somewhat Friday, saying that he would only worry about that decision if he were asked to do so.

As for the fact that he is having this huge first half with the Phillies spending most of the first three months below .500, Brown said that has been the biggest surprise of all.

“Definitely. We win four or five, then lose four or five,” he said. “It’s tough to put a finger on it. All you can do is prepare for the next game.

“We played pretty good baseball in Pittsburgh. We just have to get it going.”

The other Phillies with decent shots at getting named to the All-Star roster are Friday’s starter, Cliff Lee, who entered the game fourth in the N.L. in wins (nine) and WHIP (0.965) and ninth in ERA (2.59), and closer Jonathan Papelbon (1.93 ERA, 17 saves).

NOTES: The Phillies will face Tim Hudson (4-7, 4.22) tonight after the Braves decided to switch him and southpaw Paul Maholm in the rotation Friday so Hudson could get an extra day’s rest. … Ben Revere entered Friday hitting .333 since May 1, which is the sixth-best average for an N.L. player in that span … If Brown gets HR No. 23 before the All-Star break he would be the 10th Phillie in history to get that many homers in the first half of a season. … The Phillies have been caught in their last six stolen-base attempts.